Recent Posts

Joy Hollingsworth Takes Helm in Seattle Council Shakeup

District 3 Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth will head the Seattle City Council following a progressive wave election, and will be tasked with managing several distinct factions. Her first task was navigating committee assignments, where comity was prioritized over policymaking priorities.

Op-Ed: Why Kitsap County Can’t Stop Sprawling

Washington State is forcing Kitsap County to re-do its Comprehensive Plan for lack of low-income housing, ignoring wildfire risk, and neglecting safe streets requirements. The do-over is a chance to turn away from sprawl, writes Travis Merrigan.

WSDOT Eyes Major Transformation for SR 99 in Snohomish County

While the upgrades wouldn't happen all at once, and would only go in as other maintenance work occurs, the proposed concept sets a strong baseline for one of the state's most dangerous surface highways.
The six panelists sit at a table with the Urbanist U logo on it and Ryna Packer is off to the side moderating.

Join us for The Urbanist January Socials and North Sound Election Debrief

Join us for our January socials in Seattle and in Redmond, plus a special North Sound event recapping the 2025 election and looking to the political battles ahead.
Ferguson wears a dark gray suit and tie and stands in front of the flags of the United State and Washington state.

Ferguson’s 2026 Budget Queues Steep Cuts, Pushes Millionaires Tax to 2029

Washington Governor Bob Ferguson is again focused on cuts to close a state budget shortfall, estimated at $2.3 billion for 2026. While he did signal support for an income tax on millionaires, his proposal would not begin collecting revenue until 2029. In the meantime, students at public schools and universities would bear the brunt of fiscal belt tightening.

Sunday Video: The 15 Million Home Vacancy Conspiracy Theory Debunked

Ray Delahanty of CityNerd debunks the myth that vacant homes could single-handedly solve the housing crisis, explaining with data why America doesn't have anywhere close to 15 million homes readily available to fill the national housing shortage.

Katie Wilson Takes Office as Seattle’s Unabashed Urbanist Mayor

In remarks after being sworn in as Seattle's 58th mayor, Katie Wilson painted a vision of improving the daily lives of residents that was explicitly urbanist: focused around livability and ensuring that no one gets pushed out of the city.

Tacoma Turns to Builder Impact Fees to Bolster Transportation Funding

Tacoma's new impact fee regime, which goes into effect next summer, will charge developers based on expected generation of car trips. Despite work to delicately calibrate the new fees, the proposal still drew criticism when it comes to adding costs to needed housing development.